


His Brightest Star was You

by minntastical



Series: Overwatch Collection [5]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: ??? - Freeform, F/M, Not, Overwatch - Freeform, Post-Fall of Overwatch, Random - Freeform, Talon - Freeform, dont cry pls all of you like to cry, dun dun dun, get tissues in case idk, im feeling evil today, im so sorry, im sorry, poor gabe, prepare?, this was a fun write
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2017-02-13
Packaged: 2018-09-23 12:36:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9657764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minntastical/pseuds/minntastical
Summary: 'Anchor' was the first word that came to his mind. You brought him stability at that time, and Gabriel would come to realise later that you were always there to hold him down to his humanity.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Updated on 13/09/17
> 
> A little impromptu, getting the brain juices flowing, ready to surprise you.

Gabriel would like to argue that his prolonged existence (or perhaps his eventful life, both good and bad) has gotten him into a state of constant reflection instead of actually  _living_.

Gabriel was struggling. He'd gradually taken more and more days off from Talon, and for longer and longer periods of time. He didn't want to do anything anymore.

He'd started wasting hours away on the cracked leather sofa he had in his shitty apartment, thinking about life: whatever he had done so far, what he was doing now (drinking alcohol he could not really taste) and his future. What is the point of his existence?

 _Doctor's proof of her little resurrection experiment_ , he would always answer to himself. Because it  _was_ true. He was walking proof, even if he spent most of his time around hellish battlefields as a wraith. And that bitch couldn't even watch him do it. Live. I mean, if you wanted to experiment, shouldn't you actually watch the process and the results?

Thanks to the ambitious Swiss doc, he couldn't die. Or maybe he hadn't met a competent opponent worthy enough to send him, finally, to death's door. His old best friend didn't even make the cut, he would always hesitate to deal the final blow, with old memories surfacing and holding him back. As always, he couldn't count on Jack to do shit.

There were only two things that kept him going.

One, was the fact that Talon's best sniper and best Science experiment seemed to be having the same crisis as him. At least he wasn't alone in this fight.

Widowmaker, or Amelie, looked as if she was losing her grip on the void of human emotions. Gabriel had seen the times where she would just blank out at the shooting range, her purple hands (her skin was gradually turning back to the original colour as well) clutching her rifle loosely as she stared ahead into the metal targets. Then she would jolt in her position, snapping back into reality, raising the scope to her eye and then taking the shot. She would stare aimlessly during mealtimes as well, where Sombra, who seemed to be the only one who knew what she wanted to do in life and was actually doing it, blabbered on about some government something hacking something something.

But every year on that particular day, Gabriel would follow her to the cemetery, where Gerard was buried under the lush well-kept grass and fertile dirt and soil, hidden in an expensive black coffin. She always brought roses for him.

Gabriel hoped that Talon wouldn't recondition her again.

The second thing keeping him going was you.

He met you when Overwatch just formed, when he was one of the fresh recruits along with Jack. You were in administration, a young woman who dropped out of school repeatedly for doing nonsensical things and possessed failing grades. You got sucked in to Overwatch's administration simply because you were a cheap grab. But you proved to them later on that you were as capable as any other human on this planet, as worthy as them, and perhaps more so.

You were a flirt (a natural. Gabriel had no clue until he finally snagged you), but you didn't know. You didn't know how your extremely friendly character drew people in, how your laughter triggered others to do the same after you, how your smiles made people's hearts warm, how charming you looked when you smirked, and how quickly you made people fall for you. You didn't know. You only wanted to make lots of friends.

Gabriel was an exception. He paid you no attention of his despite your friendly greetings and sweet smiles. In fact, he didn't care. Too busy catering to the UN. But you didn't let him go of course. You wanted to be his friend.

You didn't pester him, that wasn't your tactic. Okay, maybe you did. You waved to him everytime you spotted him, you greeted with a prolonged 'hello' in the hallways, you asked about his meals during practices and threw jokes at him as an attempt to make him laugh.

And soon, when you were busy shuffling papers around your desk and arranging books, you realised something. That you liked him. Fancied that Greek-God-like man. Loved his indifferent-ness, his coolness, his badass-ness.

You were a flirt, but you didn't know. You were an absolute natural at drawing people to you. So when you tried to intentionally flirt, shit didn't go too well. It was pretty obvious you had the hots for the commander then, as you stumbled around after him and blushing so frequently. You kinda broke the hearts of the other men. 

Gabriel didn't care. He let you tag along after him for years without reciprocating. You didn't care either, you just wanted to be right beside him. You've had one-sided crushes before, it's never bothered you that the other wasn't paying attention. You only want to be around him.

A swig of alcohol. Churning of the drink in his non-existent stomach. Blurring the line between reality and imagination. Would he be able to hallucinate a vision of you? What would you say to his current state?

It was definitely after Jack got the Strike Commander position that his mental health declined steadily. His mind had been ravaged by jealously and despair. He had worked the hardest, he had triumphed in so many ways. Why didn't the UN pick him? Why did they shove him into an invisible underground side organisation?

Gabriel had lost it one day. He grabbed all the guns he could and sank bullets into the walls of Blackwatch's own range. He was overwhelmed. Why had Jack taken  _his_ position? He was supposed to be Strike Commander. Everything was supposed to be his, not Jack. What did Jack do to get the title? What had he done behind his back?

Nobody had dared to enter the range but you. You flew down the cracked concrete stairs to him with zero hesitation after you heard Blackwatch members whispering (and also cowering). Despite the chaos and the hurricane of expensive golden and silver bullets flying all around, you dove in. Gabriel was screaming his heart out, his pains and despair. All you did was run over to him and with your tiny arms compared to his muscled ones, gave him a hug.

Your arms were wrapped around his torso, your head against his chest, listening to his furiously beating heart. At your cold touch against his hot sweaty skin, he stopped ravaging like a wild animal, letting the pistol in his hand drop to the concrete ground with a 'clack'.

'Anchor' was the first word that came to his mind. You brought him stability at that time, and Gabriel would come to realise later that you were always there to hold him down to his humanity.

"Gabriel," you cooed at him, stroking his back like a baby. He wanted to shove you aside and bury a bullet in your head but he didn't. He let you calm him down, his heart rate slowly but steadily decreasing.

"You don't have to be at the top." But Gabriel wanted to. He had always looked at the top. The top of the world. He tasted it once, and he would like to again. But Jack had taken everything.

"You're better than this," you had muttered softly, placing your hand over his heart. Your voice was soothing to his ears, bringing him back to sanity at every word. Gabriel let go, for the moment, and hugged you back, nestling his face in your hair. And then he realised something.

"Y'know, I think I quite like you."

In all the years that you had followed after him, even if you couldn't officially work under him in Blackwatch, you had never really given up. But patience only lasted for so long and you really  _were_ just about to move on when his words pulled you in like a magnet.

You had simply started _crying_ , much to Gabriel's horror. The depressed mood in the range was immediately washed away with the comical scene of you crying whilst hugging Gabriel and the countless bullets lying all around you on the floor. He was absolutely stunned.

Other Blackwatch members started coming down the stairs, the absence of bullets firing as a signal that Gabriel had calmed down. They were greeted with the scene of Gabriel's jaw dropping at the crying you around his torso.

Chaos ensued again, because they thought Gabriel made you cry and injured you in some way. They started to pull you away from him, and Gabriel was trying to convince his underlings that he did _nothing_  to make you cry.

Gabriel concluded that was the funniest shit that ever happened in his life.

His Talon-provided communicator buzzed to life, snapping him out of his daydream. Gabriel reluctantly picked it up, his fingers sizzling with black smoke as he tried to keep his solid human form together.

"Reaper, when are you coming back?" The French sniper had lost her venemous tone since ages ago, and Gabriel definitely didn't miss it.

"When I _want_ to," he rumbled into the phone, trying to be menacing. He wanted to be left alone. He heard Amelie scoff, "this is not fair. I want a break too."

There was a brief silence before Gabriel swallowed thickly, "you can just leave."

"You know I can't," she replied softly.

Gabriel would bet his life savings that Widowmaker was already dead. It was times like these he had the feeling that Amelie knew who she was and what she had turned into with the help of Talon's nonsensical procedures.

Gabriel could practically  _feel_ the pain she was going through.

"I'll try to come back soon," he said finally.

" _Merci_ ," she said genuinely before hanging up.

Gabriel threw his communicator against the wall. His head was heavy from the alcohol and heart torn from the infinite wrongs he had done.

If he hadn't wanted Strike Commander so much. If he hadn't pushed away his friends just so he could rise to the top. If he had just been a little more careful with Gerard and Amelie. If he hadn't pushed  _you_ away from trying to help him.

Gabriel hadn't cried in decades. He never thought men were allowed to cry. Men were supposed to be macho, manly, a hero. Heroes didn't cry.

Gabriel let his big fat tears roll down his pale cheeks. He cried for his sins, his fallen friends, for everything that he had ever done now reduced to rubble, but he mostly cried for you.

* * *

"You have _ten_ seconds to move," Gabriel hissed viciously at you. You stood unwavering, only in your underwear, and continued to block his path to the door out of his apartment. Gabriel noticed how fierce your eyes was, how your eyebrows knitted strongly.

"Not again, Gabe," you glared back at him, black strands of your hair fluttering slightly in your face, "you need to talk to me. I know there's something-" Gabriel cut you off, a hand waving in the air, "there's  _nothing_."

You watched him turn back towards the kitchen and you stomped after him. Today, you _will_ get him to talk. What was the point of being his partner, being by his side constantly, if you couldn't get him to share what was going on inside his head?

"Gabriel, please," you softened your tone and tugged at the sleeve of his shirt. He whipped around, grabbing you by the hips before placing you on the kitchen counter. He wrapped your legs around your waist and you watched him do so. " _Cárino_ , there is nothing," he tried to persuade you, his mouth ghosting kisses along your neck. For a moment, you wanted to let the issue slide, give him another chance, maybe he could solve it on his own.

But the scene of him going wild with his shotguns on the battlefield struck you again with cold fear. Because on that day...those weren't his eyes that you saw. And you know his eyes. They were brown, soft, dangerous, sexy, ferocious. They were an embodiment of him, both his monstrous, battlefield persona and his kind and caring side. 

You placed your hands on his chest and pushed him away, "Gabriel." Your tone let him know that his attempt was unsuccessful and he growled impatiently. "Our relationship is not going to be fuck and forget. I want to know," you let your finger trail along his cheek, "what's going on? Let me help you."

Gabriel grabbed your hand and you winced at the strong hold. "Stop fucking _pestering_ me."

"I have to because you don't tell me anything!" you retorted.

"Because there is nothing!" he roared at you, "I'm fucking  _fine_. There's nothing wrong with me."

"Then tell me what happened during the mission back in June."

Gabriel stared at you, "what?"

"I saw something. I don't know what happened but you...it wasn't you. Your eyes were all...scary. You didn't even look human," you whispered.

Gabriel's mouth hung open at your words. Either he didn't know what to say because he didn't know or he was trying to think of an excuse which you hoped it wasn't the case.

You broke the silence first. You always did. "Get Angela for a check-up," you proposed. Gabriel narrowed his eyes at you, "no."

You were so close to blowing up. "Are you gonna leave it then? There's something changing in you and you should be worrying about it! What if-"

Gabriel's eyes snapped up to meet yours, and you froze midsentence. Again, those eyes. The same ones you saw last June.

You had to stop him from speaking, from saying anything that might tear you apart and make him regret. Your hands rose slowly, trembling as you tried to reach for his arm. Stop him, stop him, don't say anything, don't speak.

"If you don't like it," he rumbled lowly, "you can by all means, leave. _I don't care_."

You retracted your hand and gripped the cold kitchen counter. Gabriel continued to glare at you, no sort of regret in his eyes. Nothing. You slid off the counter slowly and walked back to the room, pulling on all your clothes. 

Maybe you phrased your words wrongly. Give him another chance. You love him. You couldn't leave him. He would crumble into his darkness if you left. You love him. You couldn't leave him.

But he already left you.

"I don't know if you noticed," you started to yell whilst pulling on your track pants, "I've been trying for _months_."

"I'm not going to continue a one-sided relationship."

Gabriel watched you with uncaring eyes. How could he? After all that you did for him, after all the things that the two of you invested. You genuinely thought you two had a future.

That very morning, you walked away from Gabriel's side.

The very next day you walked out of Overwatch.

* * *

"Do you mind if I call you just by Gabriel?" Amelie asked a little nervously. Gabriel pulled his hood back, it was way too hot in his apartment. He should get an air conditioner installed. Shift the bill to Talon. Boy, that's going to get them angry.

The two of them were draped all over the cracked leather couch, holding large bottles of their own favourite alcohol. Gabriel chuckled, "call me whatever you want, croissant."

"That's reserved for Gerard," Amelie pointed out quietly. Gabriel regretted his words. He needed to be more careful now that she wasn't Widowmaker anymore.

"You talk like that, Talon's going to find out."

"I know, and you must help me. I don't...I dont't want to get-"

"I know," Gabriel cut her off. Save her from bringing up bad memories. Silences ensued again, and the both of them sipped their drinks to make up for it.

"I miss him," Amelie said suddenly and Gabriel wanted to throw a punch at her. "Don't," he warned her. Amelie glanced at him, "I know you miss _her_. I do too, you know?"

" _Shut_ that mouth of yours before I throw you out of here," Gabriel growled. He could already feel the pain rising. Amelie didn't give a shit about his threats obviously. Instead, she continued, "maybe you should talk it out. Feel the pain so you can move on-"

Gabriel moved like lightning, as he grabbed his shotgun and pressed the barrel to the sniper's head. Amelie didn't flinch but stared at him head-on. "You sound just like her," Gabriel rasped.

"I can tell," Amelie's voice wavered, "you're already crying."

For fuck's sake. Gabriel turned away immediately, embarrassed that he let his weak side show. He heard sobs behind him and realised Amelie was crying herself. Great.

He shoved more alcohol into her hands, and the French woman accepted, hiccuping and sniffing all the while.

The image of you popped into his head again, and Gabriel took another huge gulp to try and wipe it away. But no. He could practically feel your silky smooth hair on his fingers, your cheeky smiling face, your-

The door banged open. Gabriel jumped to his feet, shotguns out to address the threat. He lowered them when Talon soldiers entered his apartment too casually.

"What are you doing here?" Gabriel, no, Reaper pulled his facade back on. Amelie was shielded by him, trying to wipe her tears away.

Simon stepped forward, a sinister smile etched on his face, "this is all the proof we need."

"Get her."

The Talon soldiers somehow made it behind Reaper, dragging Amelie up from the couch. The French woman, who realised shit's gone down, started to scream. Gabriel was about to blast their heads off when Simon placed a hand on the barrel of his shotgun.

"Shoot, and you'll lose an opportunity," he merely said. Gabriel glared at Simon. He never liked the bastard, it was always as if he had something up his sleeve, like he knew more than he let on. He was too sneaky for Gabriel's liking.

Amelie was pleading for help with her eyes and Gabriel tore his away to look at Simon.

"What opportunity?" Gabriel asked.

"I'm glad you're listening!" Simon cheered and took a seat on the coffee table, "I'll cut the story short. You let me bring our dear Amelie back for a short reconditioning and I will give you back your girlfriend."

Immediately, Amelie started to scream, "don't listen to him! She won't be the same!" Simon shrugged at her outburst.

Gabriel was torn. Simon could bring you back. Talon could bring you back. Weren't you buried under the ground in that white coffin he picked out for you? The idea that Talon dug out your grave to get their hands on you disgusted him so terribly.

"She won't be the same," Gabriel said.

Simon wagged his finger, "she will be. Talon's got quality. We just want to give you a little reward for your service."

Service? Gabriel's mind clicked. Talon was throwing him away. Great, now he was jobless.

Gabriel was called the Reaper for a reason. Ruthless, merciless and uncaring. He spared no more thoughts for Amelie and accepted Simon's proposal.

Amelie screamed at him, "Gabriel please! She won't be the same! You can't bring someone back from the dead without repercussions! Look at you!"

Simon offered him a fresh bottle of alcohol and Gabriel grinned at him. He drowned out Amelie's pleading yells with every gulp of alcohol. 

When they managed to get Amelie out, Simon patted his shoulder, "she'll be at your door in two days. See you soon, Reaper."

* * *

When you had left Overwatch, nobody dared to ask why. Gabriel shunned everyone more after your exit, turning into a cold killing machine for Blackwatch.

He was too angry at the world to admit to himself that it was his fault for driving you away. He knew it was him all along that pushed you away from trying to solve his problems, shoved you aside so he could keep his pride.

Relations with everyone became more strained. Jack was merely an enemy now, someone who had stolen the world from him. Maybe he also had a part to play for taking you away.

Gabriel was lazing in the Blackwatch shooting range when Jack came down. Gabriel threw an annoyed glance at him. Jack leaned against the doorway and said quietly, "she's been sending me emails."

Gabriel's heart stopped. Emails? From who? You? To him? _Jack_?

Anger flared in his chest.

"I don't suppose you got any from her?" Jack pushed further. Gabriel let out a low growl, "I don't care."

"See, this attitude of yours was what drove her away, Gabe!" Jack yelled at him, standing to his full height, "she only ever wanted you to be happy."

"Don't _lecture_  me on happiness, Jack," Gabriel spat at him, "you have _everything_."

"Whatever you think I have, they're not making me happy."

"Don't need to be so humble."

"You are clearly unwilling to listen," Jack concluded, turning around to climb the stairs out of the range, "no wonder she left."

Gabriel roared, slamming his bottle down to the ground with a chilling smash. Jack paid no attention to his friend's outburst, and calmly walked out.

* * *

"Gabriel!" Jack yelled.

The Hispanic man ignored his friend's desperate calls, strolling off in the direction of Blackwatch HQ. He couldn't be bothered to give any shits about what his friend could possibly preach to him now.

Jack caught up with him. He jumped and delivered a massive punch to the Blackwatch Commander's face. A wave of silence descended upon the surrounding area and all the other members practically froze.

"The fucking bombings in _London_ , Gabriel," Jack panted, "she _lives_ there."

Gabriel's heart stopped. 

Ten minutes later, he was on the old dropship bound for London. His hands were shaking, body shivering from negative thoughts and pure fear.

_Alive or dead?_

"She lives in Holborn," Jack had said.

Where the fuck was that? Gabriel didn't need to know, just lead him there and he'll find you. Fuck, what was he going to say to you after all these years? Hi? Glad you're safe? Thank fucking god you didn't die or I would have thrown myself off a building?

_Alive or dead?_

When the plane touched down, Gabriel jumped off immediately with Jack scrambling after him. The place was wrecked, a typical war-torn graveyard scene that somehow looked more chilling and ghostly today. Right at that moment. Right at the moment where he was looking desperately for you.

Jack led him through the chaos, and Gabriel briefly wondered how he knew where to go even with all the mess and rubble pouring from collapsed buildings. How many times had he gone over and visited? How many times had Gabriel not?

Jack slowed, and Gabriel followed his pace.

_Alive or dead?_

Gabriel shook his thoughts away.

There were paramedics and other UN personnel running all over the place. When Jack turned the corner, he stopped, his lip quivering. The blonde steps to the side for Gabriel.

Gabriel went numb. His body moved on autopilot, making way past Jack, examining the surroundings before his eyes settled on your broken body. You were lying crumpled like a doll in between concrete debris, wedged in like a sandwich with blood decorating the cement and your arms. You died with your eyes open, and with a crushed ring dangling on a dirty metal chain around your purplish neck. _His_ ring. Gabriel gave it to you a while back because he thought it matched your eyes. 

Gabriel lost himself again, for the second time since that day in the shooting range. This time you weren't able to be with him to calm him down.

Gabriel reached for your cold hand, purposely avoiding contact with the crushed metal on your neck, wailing incoherently, looking at your bloodied body, holding your hand so gently yet fiercely. He regretted not ever saying that he loved you. He never should have told you to leave. He never should have said nothing was wrong. He never should have let you go.

Jack watched, tears falling from his eyes, as his friend screamed in absolute agony and despair. Gabriel could only hold your hand.

* * *

Two days was a long wait for you to come back.

And in those two days Gabriel was starting to think Talon will have your dead corpse shipped to his doorstep instead of an alive version. Maybe he shouldn't have given Amelie up. Fuck, Gerard was going to kill him in the afterlife.

It was 8am when the door rattled, jolting Gabriel awake from his uncomfortable sleep on the sofa. Immediately, he shot up in his seat and scrambled off the sofa. 

Gabriel practically wrenched the door open, ripping out the lock system and a bit of the door arch as well. The woman who stood in front of him gawked.

You looked like you never died. That's all Gabriel could form in his mind. Everything about you looked healthy. Your hair, your skin, your teeth, your fingernails. Your _eyes_. Your neck was empty of the necklace. Gabriel made a mental note to get you a better ring.

You stood a little awkwardly (terrified to be honest) in the doorway, eyes shifting from the Hispanic man to the broken doorway. "Sorry for disturbing but the agency told me to find you."

Gabriel gawked at you this time. Come find him? Agency? 

"They said you didn't mind much about the bills but I'm not that kind of person, so I swear once I-" you broke off as the man infront of you gripped your shoulders. His fingernails were biting into your shoulders and you winced at the pain, struggling a little to get out of his grip.

" _What_ are you talking about?" he breathed, eyes wide and panicky. You stared back at him in confusion, "what do you mean? They didn't tell you about-"

"What are you...Y/N, what are you here for?" Gabriel whispered.

You shook your head in confusion, "I'm your new tenant. We signed the papers two weeks ago."


End file.
